Gem Spotlight - meg butler at wildlife victoria
Meg Butler moved to her new role as Head of External Relations at Wildlife Victoria in August of 2022. Not only does she get to blend her interests in helping people, animals and the environment… she sometimes gets to work alongside baby wombats! Keep reading to learn more about Meg and her work life.
Meg Butler is the Head of External Relations at Wildlife Victoria
What did you dream of being when you were a child?
Apart from the shattering realisation that occurred as I was watching the Olympics on TV, that I probably wasn’t going to be a world class gymnast, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I grew up.
I have always had a drive to help solve problems for people, animals and the environment. I asked my daughter what she thinks I do at work, and she said, “You tell people to care for wildlife, and to give Wildlife Victoria money so they can help wildlife. You make posters, and you get to look after animals sometimes.”
I think child me would be pretty happy with that job description.
What’s the best thing about your current role?
My team! My team is smart, skilled, engaged, and sometimes includes baby wombats.
Not-for-profit work can be hard. How do you stay focused, motivated, and driven?
It can be very hard. Having a good team of people around you that support each other through the good times and the not so good times is invaluable. Also trying not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your team is important. There is always more that could be done in a not-for-profit, but keeping your priorities and workload in order and manageable is critical to being effective and stopping your team from being overwhelmed. Sometimes easier said than done!
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
I can’t remember the best advice, but the worst career advice I received was when I was in high school. I was encouraged to make decisions about what to study at university based on what kind of job I could get at the end of the course, and the amount of money the job would pay.
While the advice was well meaning, it failed to consider the value of doing work that is rewarding beyond a salary. It also gave a false sense that there are a limited number of job types with set career trajectories. Fortunately, despite receiving this advice, I’ve had a fantastically rewarding and diverse range of jobs, each one building on the next, not in a pre-decided career pathway, but in response to my interests taking rewarding twists and turns along the way.
Thank you very much for sharing, Meg!